Meet: Angel

What’s your role here at CPW Dentistry and what does a typical day look like for you?

I’m the Scheduling Team Leader, but actually I co-lead the team with Erick. A usual day for me will consist of filling coverage needs in the schedule when the staff is out, or will need to take off for continuing education, ensuring that patients are informed of their potential provider changes and making sure that their preferences are met and respected, completing the staff schedule and troubleshooting any foreseeable breakdowns, projecting our schedule for the coming month and anticipating what we can expect be able to offer our patients, and deciding if we need to increase our capacity and availability for them.

What do you like most about working here?

Everyone always says it’s like working with family, and although it’s cliché, its actually true. I’ve met some of my very best friends here. Even on our days off, we talk and hang out, which is really unique. I spend quite a bit of time chatting with my coworkers about life events, and sharing pictures of my puppies, my niece, and vacations. I think what makes it the most different is that we actually care what’s happening in each others lives, and that extends into our patients’ lives. We truly care about how your sons baseball game went, and when we ask, it’s not just small talk – we really want all the updates on how each others lives are going. We get excited and support the next big step, and when I need guidance, I can check in with my team and know that they have my back.

What are you passionate about?

Food. In my family, if you have a meal prepared for you, its done because you are loved. So for me, food is love, but not in an unhealthy way. Its a way to nurture both your body and a relationship. Well, that, and I love food. I love cooking and baking. I remember once, we had a meeting with our admin department, and usually we buy snacks to share. But this time, instead, we had a taco bar – and it was so much fun! I got to cook food for people I truly cared about and then I got to eat it, and that is my jam.

What motivates you to come to work every day?

Seeing the progress we have made as a team, and the changes that we have made in our patients lives. I’ve been with CPW for 4+ years, and the impact that we have made makes it worth it. We are never in the same place twice, which is also really awesome. We always strategically plan our year to move forward, to offer more, to be there in a different capacity. It also helps that throughout my time with CPW, I’ve been able to mold my position into what it is today, keeping what I’m passionate about and delegating and training someone else better suited for the bits that I’m not so passionate about, and feeling no judgement from saying “I don’t think this is my party, but I know someone who will LOVE doing this.” It’s allowed me to work more strongly and deeply on the things that I love, rather than “hating” and chipping away at tasks I don’t want but have to do.

Where did you grow up and what was it like there?

I grew up in Phoenix, AZ. Phoenix is a city that you either love or you hate. There is no middle ground. It’s brown, we have 2 seasons – hot, and hotter… no, really, it’s still between 80 and 85 degrees here. It’s louder than you would think here, and while there are cactus and cowboy’s, they aren’t as present as you may imagine. My favorite thing about Arizona is the Monsoon Season. Between June and August, Arizona “floods” and rages with giant dust storms and booming thunder for weeks. It’s the most gorgeous landscape I’ve ever experienced, and the smell is so fresh and crisp, there is really no other place like it.

What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done and would you do it again?

Oh gosh. So, back when I was a little Angel hunting for colleges, my best friend and I toured the University of Washington (that was one of my top picks, and we were in Seattle at the time.) I was planning to dual major, and we were both in technical theater together, so we thought we would take a peek at the theater department. It was the summer, so everything was closed, and fairly sparse of humans, and the front door to the department was locked. So I began to wander off around campus, but she called me around back of the building, for what I didn’t know. I met her back there, and she was standing near a slightly open door with a huge smile on her face. I had a tiny panic, and yelled, “We are NOT breaking into a building where I may go to school!” To which she replied, “It’s not breaking in if the door is open, that’s basically an invitation.” My stomach flipped, my hands were sweating, I was positive we were going to be arrested and taken to College Jail or something. We calmly walked in, and wouldn’t you know, there were people there…again, I panicked (I am 100% not a gets-into-trouble type person), and ran from hall to hall hiding from the people who seemed like they were following us. I was certain were going to nab us and sentence us to years in prison. We eventually ran out of the building laughing hysterically from all the panic, and it was one of the most memorable experiences. I would probably do it again, and maybe not yell.

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